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Annotation:Quaker's Wife
X:1 T:Quaker’s Wife M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig S:Howe – 1000 Jigs and Reels (c. 1867) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G D | (GA)B D2B | (dc)B (BA)G | (GA)B D2D | E2F G2 :|| B | (dc)B (ed)c | dcB ABc | dcB efg | B3 d2e | dcB gfe | dcB A2G | GAB D2D | E2E G2 ||
QUAKER'S WIFE, THE. AKA and see "Merrily Danced the Quaker," "Merrily Kissed the Quaker's Wife". English, Scottish, American; March or Jig (6/8 time). G Major (Howe, Keith): C Major (Robbins): D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Howe): AABB (most versions). Bayard (1981) believes this tune derived from "Mill Mill Oh (The)". The Scottish national poet Robert Burns once wrote: "Among many of his airs (referring to the celebrated oboist Thomas Fraser's playing) that please me, there is one, well known as a Reel [it is really a 6/8 jig] by the name of 'The Quaker's wife' & which I remember a grand Aunt of mine used to sing, by the name of 'Liggeram cosh, my bonie wee lass' Mr. Fraser plays it slow, & with an expression that quite charms me I got such an enthusiast in it, that I mad a Song for it." The song Burns wrote he called "Blythe Hae I Been on yon hill."
Grace Orpen printed the melody in her 1931 book The Dances of Donegal [1], as the vehicle for the dance A Trip to the Cottage. The tune is also played for the Scottish country dance (along with the similar sounding march "Quaker (2) (The)") called Aberdonian Lassie.
